


tell me you love me (come back and haunt me)

by nightmare_kaleidoscope



Category: Longmire (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, I just want a proper ending for them ok, I might be as much of a jerk as Walt with this one, even this is arguably better than canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-05
Updated: 2021-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-18 12:00:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 793
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29857749
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nightmare_kaleidoscope/pseuds/nightmare_kaleidoscope
Summary: Walt chooses to go after Malachi instead of helping Jacob in 6x10. Jacob is still saved, but later, and ends up in the hospital. Cady goes to visit him.
Relationships: Cady Longmire/Jacob Nighthorse
Comments: 5
Kudos: 3





	tell me you love me (come back and haunt me)

**Author's Note:**

> two posts in one week(ish) 🎉🎉🎉 someone be proud of me
> 
> ok anyways, the title is from The Scientist by Coldplay and I look forward to hearing how much you hate me after reading this 😁

Sometimes Cady wonders if she is even truly capable of loving someone. Sure she has had boyfriends before, Branch and Zach being her most recent. She never loved Branch though, not really. He was merely a distraction, a way to piss off her dad. A small, nagging voice in the back of her head keeps telling her she is going down a similar road with Zach. Maybe she is. She doesn't love her dad, he makes sure that that is impossible. She did love her mother. It's not the same though, is it? No, she feels differently about Jacob. But does she love him?

The question lingers in Cady's mind as she enters through the front door of the hospital. She has always had an aversion to hospitals. The fact that so many people's last breaths have been taken in the building gives it an eerie sort of feel, and Cady can't help but hope—pray—that Jacob will not share the same fate. Cady is only half present when she states her name at the front desk. Her mind drifts even further away as she slowly walks through the narrow hallways toward the room that the clerk told her is Jacob's. She hesitates at the door, fingers firmly grasping the icy cold metal handle. The thought flashes through her mind again; does she really love him?

Crossing the threshold into the room is bone chilling. The room is colder than it should be and completely silent except for the rythmic beeping of the heart rate monitor. Jacob is still unconscious, but Cady holds onto the hope that he will wake up soon. The doctor had told her that he slipped into a coma after being deprived of oxygen for too long, something that would have stressed Cady out greatly if not for the fact that he is supposedly in decent shape otherwise. He's breathing and, to Cady, that's all that really matters.

She sits down in the large chair next to Jacob's bed and examines his face. The flourescent light that fills the room emphasizes the wrinkles in his face, making him look older than usual. Still, he seems almost peaceful. Cady brushes a strand of hair from his forehead and ignores the sharp pang she feels in her chest. _He's a fighter_ , she tells herself. _He'll be okay._

The sound of the door opening grabs Cady's attention but, when she realizes it's only her dad, she turns back to Jacob and ignores Walt's customary greeting. She doesn't miss the antipathetic, borderline hostile, look on her dad's face as she continues running her fingers through Jacob's hair. Of all of the people on Earth, Walt is the last person she wants to see right now. She mentally composes herself and gives her best effort to remain calm, even as anger begins to boil up inside of her.

"What are you doing here?" She asks, keeping her eyes on Jacob, and she can taste the passive aggression in her tone as the words roll off her tongue.

"I'm sorry, Punk." The sound of his voice is grating and Cady can feel his looming presence as he steps closer to her.

"You have no right to say you're sorry. How could you let this happen?!" Her voice cracks as it grows louder with each syllable.

"Cady, I didn't—"

"NO," she cuts him off. "THIS IS _YOUR_ FAULT! _YOU_ DID THIS! _YOU_ LEFT HIM THERE TO DIE!" Hot tears burn her eyes and a few stray ones stream down her cheek. Walt does not say another word as she wipes them away angrily with the back of her hand.

As Cady calms down, an uneasy silence settles across the room and apprehension fills Cady to the brim. It takes her racing mind a minute to realize what's wrong. It's silent, except...

A flood of tears cascades down Cady's face as she wips her head around and her gaze lands on Jacob's flatlining heart rate monitor. The constant and low yet deafening tone emitting from the device rings loudly in her ears. A hand settles heavily on Cady's shoulder but she shakes it off violently. "GET THE FUCK OUT!" She screams, voice hoarse with exasperation. Walt backs up but doesn't leave. When Cady finally faces him she looks manic and completely broken. "If you don't leave right now, I might kill you." She bites the words out through gritted teeth and, finally, Walt sighs and leaves, slamming the door closed behind him. Cady turns back to Jacob, wraps him in her arms, and rests her forehead against his chest, allowing herself sob freely now.

Does she really love Jacob? Cady decides yeah, she must, or else losing him like this would not hurt so goddamn much.


End file.
